Voyage avec mon père

American journalist "Ruth" (Lena Dunham) had long planned a trip from the USA to her ancestral home in Poland only to find her effervescent father "Edek" (Stephen Fry) has decided to join her. A fluent speaker and full of a slightly annoying joie de vivre, they embark on a trip to the tourist sites, but that's not what she wants. She wants to head to the family home in Lodz where they were a successful industrial family before the Nazi's confiscated their wealth, property and sent "Edek" and his wife to Auschwitz. What is clear is that dad is not so keen on this itinerary, nor is he at all keen on train travel - and the remainder of the film takes us on a family journey that will open the eyes of the daughter whilst bringing back the demons for the father. This tries quite effectively at times to introduce some humour into what is quite an emotional topic, especially when their trip does eventually take them (and us) to his haunting place of incarceration where he finds a flood of memories readily come back to him. Fry over-eggs the accent a bit, but he does manage to convey something of the harrowing nature of his incarceration, and of his mind's determination to protect itself from opening that door to trauma again. Dunham also serves well enough as his independently-minded daughter to support that increasingly troubled characterisation. It's quite a poignant drama that encourages us, as D-Day 80 is still fresh in the mind - to imagine the horrors visited on the Polish people by the Nazis and to realise that in many cases (this is set in 1991) their houses and businesses were still pretty much as they were left in 1941 - only largely dilapidated and with new, poverty-stricken occupants. I did rather like the conclusion - it poses quite an interesting question about what we might do in her place. As a drama, it maybe doesn't need the cinema, but the photography at the now silenced death camp is still blood-curdling.

I thought I wouldn't like it because of the Stephen Fry insert in such a serious movie. But boy was I wrong, and quick to judge!

If you're rating this less than a 6, I can only assume you're either a soursop or someone who prefers mass-market pop movies like those churned out by Marvel. This film offers so much more than surface-level entertainment; it has depth, originality, and craftsmanship that deserve recognition. While it might not cater to mainstream tastes, it's a refreshing alternative for those who appreciate cinema with substance and a unique voice. Don't overlook its brilliance just because it's not what you're used to seeing in big-budget blockbusters.

It challenges viewers to think deeply and engage with its narrative, rather than passively consume flashy visuals. This is a film made for those who appreciate cinema as an art in its purest form.

It's really refreshing to me seeing a movie that's just sincere. Nothing stylized or saccharine, just really powerful dialogue and story unfolding naturally while working on so many levels. It feels like this movie exists in the real world. I'm usually skeptical about fiction that incorporates the holocaust because sometimes it's used as an unnecessary gimmick, but every element about this story is vitally important. The conversations about processing generational trauma are breath-taking. The two lead actors, Lena and Stephen, really made me empathize with their characters and they both deserve Oscar nominations. Also, this is based on a true story and I love when movies based on true stories show photos of the real-life people during the credits.

After the loss of her mother, Ruth decides to make a pilgrimage to Poland and learn about her parents' past. Her father, Edek, decides to join her and make it a daughter-father's trip. As Ruth and Edek travel through Poland, they learn and relive the Jewish people's history and experience how things are in the present. As they travel together, Edek and Ruth learn more about each other, share their burdens, and grow closer.

This film is based on the true story of the child of two Auschwitz death camp survivors and her journey to learn about her family. The story is approached delicately. While the subject is heavy, the story is told simultaneously in a manner that is both serious and lighthearted. The story develops slowly, making the audience feel the nearly two-hour runtime. This film has multiple themes the audience can focus on, and by the end, it is a very gratifying watch. This is a decent watch once it is available to stream.

My husband is Polish and I've been to Poland many times. We saw the premise, and that it starred Stephen Fry, and so we decided to watch the film, as an opportunity to laugh at Stephen Fry. My husband is very particular when judging foreigners pretending to be Polish. When he saw Sophie's Choice he enquired who was that foreigner trying to pretend to be a Lithuanian? (Meryl Streep), but he was impressed with Fry's spoken Polish 'only a wift of a foreign accent' he says. He was less impressed with Fry's Polish accent when speaking English, but beggars can't be choosers. Personally I think it would have been better to cast a Polish actor in the lead role and I'm not sure if Lena was best cast in her role either. But I find that it's the kind of film that is made the more fascinating and memorable by its flawed and surprising casting. The cinematography is intelligent and carefully done without ever being pretentious or patronising and the script is unnerving; a little messy and flitting from genre to genre - just like real life (the Polish supporting cast are also great.) I found this film to be one of those golden nuggets that hangs around me afterwards. I find myself thinking about this film a lot. There is plenty of nuance in this film; a lot of depth and realism and details that are easily missed if you watch this film in the wrong mood or have too narrow an expectation of what a film of this subject matter ought to be. Watch the film with an open mind and laser focus, and you will get the most out of it.